For a split second, the world seemed to still. The scream hung in the air, raw with terror, sending a chill down Xinyi's spine. People on the street turned, their faces pale with confusion, trying to locate the source of the sound. Xinyi's heart raced faster, the weight of the moment sinking in. This was it. The first true sign that everything was about to fall apart.
Xie Yan's gaze flicked toward the direction of the scream. His hand moved instinctively to his side, where a holster would have been if he had been armed. His sharp eyes swept the area, assessing the threat. Xinyi knew that look. In the novel, Xie Yan was a man of action, a leader forged in chaos, always calm, always in control.
But right now, the danger was still distant. The crowd remained frozen, unsure if they should run or stay. Xinyi's mind worked quickly. She needed to speak, to do something before this chance slipped away. Meeting Xie Yan like this was not part of the original story. She had to make it count.
"Do you hear that?" she asked, her voice steady despite the pounding of her heart.
Xie Yan glanced at her, eyes sharp, reading her as if trying to figure out who she was and why she seemed so composed. Most people would have been panicking by now. He didn't answer. Instead, he opened the door and stepped out, tall and imposing, his presence enough to make a few of the onlookers step back.
Another scream echoed, closer this time. A woman stumbled into view at the far end of the street, blood smeared across her arms, her clothes torn. Her eyes were wild with terror. Behind her, the first of the infected appeared, staggering forward, its mouth stretched in a grotesque grin, teeth stained with fresh blood.
The spell broke. People began to shout. Some ran in all directions, bumping into each other in their panic. Cars screeched as drivers tried to flee. Chaos erupted in an instant.
Xinyi grabbed Xie Yan's arm without thinking. His head snapped toward her, surprise flickering in his eyes at her boldness.
"We need to move. Now. If we stay here, we're dead."
He hesitated, but only for a second. Something about her tone, the certainty in her eyes, made him trust her. Or maybe it was the fact that the infected were closing in fast.
"Get in the car," he ordered.
Xinyi didn't argue. She scrambled into the passenger seat as he slid behind the wheel and slammed the door shut. The engine roared to life, and he jerked the car into gear, tires squealing as they sped away from the growing nightmare behind them.
Xinyi kept her eyes on the rearview mirror. More infected appeared, chasing after the fleeing crowd, spreading like a wave. She felt sick. The city was falling faster than she had expected. The timeline had shifted. Was it because she had started preparing early? Was this the butterfly effect at work already?
Xie Yan drove with sharp focus, weaving through traffic, avoiding the panicked drivers who swerved wildly. He didn't speak, but his knuckles were white on the steering wheel. Xinyi knew she had to say something, to explain herself, but the words caught in her throat. How could she tell him the truth? That she knew what was coming because she had read it in a book?
Instead, she focused on what mattered most.
"There's a military outpost on the edge of the city. They'll be trying to set up a safe zone. If we can get there, we might stand a chance."
Xie Yan glanced at her, suspicion in his eyes. "How do you know that?"
"I just do. Trust me. Please."
He didn't argue. The situation was too dire for questions. The city streets became more chaotic by the second. People abandoned their cars and ran on foot. Fires broke out. Sirens wailed in the distance, blending with the screams.
Xinyi's mind raced. She needed to think ahead. Supplies. A safe base. A plan to survive beyond today. She reached down and touched the jade bangle, feeling the comforting cold of the space inside. At least that was still hers.
The car swerved to avoid a burning vehicle and skidded onto a side street. Xie Yan's sharp reflexes kept them moving, but it was clear they wouldn't be able to drive much longer. The roads were clogging up fast.
Xinyi's eyes widened as she spotted something up ahead. A barricade. Makeshift but sturdy, manned by a small group of people with weapons. They were turning back cars, refusing to let anyone pass. She cursed under her breath. In the novel, this group had tried to seize control of the outpost, claiming it for themselves. They were violent, ruthless, willing to kill to keep what they had.
Xie Yan saw them too and slowed the car, weighing their options. Xinyi could see the tension in his jaw, the calculation in his eyes.
"We can't stop here," she said, keeping her voice low but firm. "They'll take the car, maybe worse. We need to find another way."
Xie Yan nodded once, his grip tightening on the wheel. But before he could reverse, one of the men raised a gun, pointing it straight at them. The message was clear. They were trapped.
The man shouted, his voice rough with authority. "Out of the car. Now."
Xinyi's heart pounded. This wasn't how it was supposed to go. They needed to get past this point, to reach the outpost, to survive. She searched Xie Yan's face, looking for a plan, a sign that he had a way out.
But all she saw was his eyes narrowing, cold and calculating, as he slowly reached for the door handle.
The gunman's finger twitched on the trigger.
And just as Xinyi opened her mouth to speak, another infected burst out from the shadows behind the barricade.